Wireless Infrastructure-to-Vehicle Communication Technologies to Increase Road Safety along Motorways

Applications in intelligent communication technologies for intelligent transport systems are one of the key means to ensure safe and efficient driving through the increasingly overloaded road infrastructure. The most recent development is the implementation of cooperative traffic management systems, with the establishment of a wireless infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) data-communication link for the transmission of safety-critical as well as legally binding messages into the vehicle. The most critical technical aspect for the development of wireless communication between infrastructure and vehicles is the secure and safe transmission of the safety-relevant road information in real time in all kinds of traffic situations to all vehicles within a specific road segment. Within the project Co-operative Systems for Intelligent Road Safety, a 48-month integrated project cofunded by the European Commission–Information Society and Media–in the 6th Framework Program, an evaluation of the different wireless communication technologies (e.g., broadcast, cell-based, and dedicated short range technologies) was performed after the main criteria for assessment were defined. The preliminary results show that there is no wireless communication technology available that fulfils all requirements for I2V communication cooperative traffic management.